Automatic railway-gate.



PATENTED MAR. 1, 1904.

C. W. GURD. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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Patented March 1,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN WINN CURD, OF BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,676, dated March 1,1904.

Application filed August 1, 1903.

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic railwaygates.

The object of the invention is in a ready, simple, thoroughly feasible,and positive manner to effect lowering and raising of a railwaygate, theformer movement being efi'ec'ted in advance of the passage of a trainacross a roadway and the latter after the train has passed such roadway;furthermore, to effect sounding of an audible signal to give warning toan approaching vehicle or foot passenger when a train is about to crossthe roadway or track.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of an automatic railway-gate, aswill be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts,there is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention as appliedto a single-track railway, it being understood that the improvements mayby duplication of the parts be adapted to a double railway-track.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in plan of the complete system. Fig.2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a view in end eleva- Fig. 4 isa perspective detail view ofa part of themecbanism. Fig. 5 is a similarview of another part of the mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a track-section, which may be ofany desired novel form of mechanism for operating a railway-gate, and,second, in a novel form of mechamsm for operating an audlble signal, inthis Serial No. 167,983. (No model.)

instance a bell, both mechanisms being operated by the wheels of apassing train. At this point it may be stated that the invention hereinillustrated is adapted particularly for use in connection with asingle-track railway and is therefore operable from both directions.

' The gate 3 may be of the usual or any preferred construction and, asusual, is poised that is to say, is equally balanced upon itssupportthus to reduce the power necessary to operate it to the minimum.The gate is supported upon a shaft 4:, journaled in the upper portion oftwo standards 5, the lower ends of which are provided with base-pieces6, which are secured to the cross-ties in any suitable manner,- as bybeing bolted or spiked thereto. Upon the shaft dis a pinion7, whichmeshes with a large gear 8, also journaled in suitable bearings in thestandard, the proportion between the diameters of the pinion and gearbeing such that a relatively smallrotation of ing, the gear 8 comprisesa vibratory rocking lever 11, which may be of any preferred constructionand is mounted upon a shaft 12, one end of which is journaled in one ofthe standards 5 and the other end in a bearing 13, which is secured inany suitable manner to the crossties. As shown, the sides of the rockinglever constitute cams, which by contactingwith the arms 11 operate toimpart a slight rotative movement to the gear 8, andthus through themedium of the pinion 9 cause the raising and lowering of the, gate 3,according to the direction of movement of the lever. It will beunderstood, of course, that, if preferred, the direct impact between thesides of the rocking lever and the arms 9-may be relied upon foroperating the gear 8; but in order to produce friction to a minimum, andthus facilitate'the operation of the device, it is preferred that thereshould be the cam action above referred to between the lever and thearms. The mechanism for operating the gate from both ends of thetrack-section is identically the same, so that a description of one willserve for both. At any preferred distance from the gate that will insurethe passage of a long train over the track before the engine reaches thegate is arranged a slide 14,- one end of which projects through anopening in a Web of the rail and has the inwardly-projecting end beveledor rounded to insure its lateral displacement when contacted by theflange of a wheel. The portion that projects through the web of the railis of less vertical diameter than the remainder of the slide, thuspresenting a shoulder to limit its inward movement. The outer end of theslide is bifurcated, and in the bifurcation is pivoted one end of alever 15, the fulcrum of the lever being upon a bracket 16, secured inany suitable manner upon one of the cross-ties and disposed at theproper distance from the rail to insure the requisite-vibration of thelever to perform the function for which it is designed. The bracket maybe made of any suitable material, preferably a solid casting of iron,and the fulcrum 17 may be a bolt seated within the bracket. The free endof .the lever or that opposite the slide 14 is horizontally bifurcated,and within the bifurcation is pivoted one member 18 of a three-armedlever 19, the member 18 being provided with an elongated opening toreceive the fulcrumpin 20, thus to permit the proper vibration of thelever 15. The lever 19 is fulcrumed upon the bracket 21, which may be ofthe same construction as the bracket 16, and is suitably secured to oneof the cross-ties of the track-section. On a cross-tie adjacent to thebracket 21 is a similar bracket 22, and upon this bracket is fulcrumed athree-armed lever 23, one member, 24, of which is pivotally connected inthe same manner as the member 18 with a lever 25, fulcrumed upon abracket 26, the end of the lever opposite the lever 23 being pivoted inthe bifurcated end of a slide 27 similar to the slide 14, which projectsin the same manner through the web of the rail. The members 28 of thelever 19 and like members of the lever 23 are connected by wire ropes orchains 30 and 31, by which arrangement it will be seen that whenthelever 15 is rocked simultaneous rocking movement in like directionswill be imparted to the three-armed levers 19 and 23. Between the tiessupporting the standards 5 is secured a plate or casting 32, projectingupward from which is a stud 33, fulcrumed upon which intermediate of itsends is a plate or lever 34, the outer end of which is provided with atransverse slot, through which projects the shank of the rocking lever11, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. At points equidistant from the fulcrumof the lever 34 and on each side thereof are pairs of openings 36 and37, the pair of openings 36 being engaged by one end of a pair of wireropes or chains 38, the other ends of which are connected with two ofthe arms of the lever 23. Thearrangement of the levers, slides, and theother parts of the mechanism on the opposite side of the gate is thesame as that already described, except the manner of transmitting themotion from the wire ropes or chains 39 (the equivalent of the wireropes or chains 38) to the plate or lever 34. The means for transmittingthe motion from the wires or ropes 39 to the plate or lever 34 comprisesa plate 42, fulcrumed intermediate of its ends upon a bracket 43 andhaving one of its terminals bent upward and the other bent downward, thesaid terminals being provided with openings 44, in which are secured thefree ends of the ropes or chains 39. Secured in the openings 44 of theplates 42 are wire ropes or chains 45, which are crossed, as shown inFig. 1, and have their.

free terminals secured in the openings 37 of the plate or lever 34.

While not herein shown, it is to be understood that the operatingmechanism of the gatethat is to say, the gear, pinion, and rocklevermaybe inclosed in a suitable casing, as usual, and that the operating ropesor chains connecting the various levers with the plate or lever 34 maybe inclosed in tubes or pipes, thus to protect them from the elementsand also from the possibility of damage by being tampered with or bybeing run over by heavy-load ed vehicles. The levers connecting theslides .with the three-armed levers may also be covered by aboardcasing, if found necessary or desirable.

All of the parts so far described are arranged close to the ground andare thus not liable to damage, and are further capable of ready repairin case of damage.

Arranged adjacent to each of the slides is a guard-rail 46, theterminals of which are curved in the same direction, as usual, and areadapted to cause the flange of a car-wheel positively to impinge againstthe slide opposite which it is disposed, and thus insure its operation.

The operation of the mechanism so far described is as follows: A trainapproaches from, say, the left-hand end of the track-section. Theflanges of the wheels of the locomotive will first impinge against theslide 27, and the' latter is thrown outward, thereby rocking the lever25 and turning the threearmed levers 19 and 23 and causing the slide 14to be projected inward. As the slide 27 is forced outward the plate orlever 34 through the medium of the wire ropes or chains 30 and 31 isrocked upon its fulcrum, thereby throwing the rocking lever to one side,which causes it to engage one of the arms 9, and thus turn the gear 8and through the medium of the pinion 7 lower the gate. During thisoperation the bolt 41 is thrown out of the path of travel of thewheel-flanges, so that it becomes dead, and the slide 40 is throwninward, and after the train has passed the crossing at which the gate islocated the flanges of the engine-wheels impinge the slide 40 and forceit outward, the 1 p prising a gate, an actuating mechanism thereforincluding a pinion carried by the gate-surrslides 40 and 14 beingarranged at a distance from the gate suflicient to accommodate thelongest train that will ever pass over a track. As the slide 40 isforced outward the threearmed levers 47 and 48 are rocked and throughthe wire ropes or chains connecting them with the plate or lever 34throws the lever in the opposite direction, and thereby causes the gateto rise. In order to limit the downward movement of the gate, a stop 49is employed in the nature of an arm, the upper end of which is forked toreceive the gate-arm, said stop being secured in any suitable manner tothe cross-ties supporting the gate-operating mechanism.

As it is essential that an audible signal should be provided which willsound continuously before the engine approaches the crossing, a bell 50is employed for this purpose, which is supported upon a suitablestandard 51, arranged opposite the gate. The bell is operated from bothends of the track section through the medium of slides 52 and 53, theends of which project through the web of the rail in the same manner asthe slides 14, 27, 40, and 41, and the outer ends of these slides arebifurcated in the manner described, and in the bifurcation of each slideis pivoted or fulcrumed one arm, 54, of an L-lever 55, each of thelevers being mounted upon a bracket 56, secured to the tie. The otherarm of the L-lever has connected with it one end of a wire rope or chain57, the-other end of which connects with a lever 58, pivoted upon abracket 59, secured in any suitable manner upon thecross-tiesthatsupportthebell-standard. One end of the lever is connectedwith an arm 60, which operates the clapper of the, bell. It will beunderstood from the drawings that the bell will sound from both ends ofthe tracksection, so that no matter which way the train is approaching avehicle or a foot passenger will be notified in ample time to avoiddanger of injury in crossing the track.

While it is preferable to employ an audible signal in connection withthe gate of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention isnot to be limited thereto, as the bell may be omitted without in theleast detracting from the value of the gate as a life-preserver.

Of course it will be understood, as usual, that a lantern may besuspended from the gate-arm to constitute a visual signal after dark.

By the simple yet eflective arrangement of mechanism shown positiveactuation of the gate will be effected no matter in which direction atrain may be running, and owing to the simplicity of the parts certaintyof operation. may be relied upon with the minimum danger of derangementin use.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1, An apparatus oftheclassdescribed comporting shaft, atoothed element engaged with thepin-ion, arms carried by the toothed element, and a rock-lever locatedbetween said,

arms and adapted alternately to engage the same to thereby secure theoperation of the gate.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a gate, an actuatingmechanism therefor including. a pinion carried by the gatesupportingshaft, a toothed element engaged with the pinion, arms carried by thetoothed element, a rock-lever between said arms and adapted alternatelyto engage the same, a pivoted lever for actuating said rock-lever,slides projecting through the webs of the rails of a track-sectionadjacent to which the apparatus is mounted and adapted to be engaged bythe flanges of the car-wheels, levers connected at one end with theslides, three-armed levers fulcrumed adjacent one of the rails and eachnecting the free arms ofthe three-armed levers with said pivoted lever.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a gate, an actuatingmechanism therefor comprising a pinion carried by the gatesupportingshaft, a toothed element engaged with the pinion, arms carried by thetoothed.

element, a weighted rock-lever, adapted to engage the arms, and anautomatically-actuated lever in cooperative relation with the rocklever.

prising a gate, a rock-lever adapted through interposed mechanism toactuate the same, a pivoted lever engaging the rock-lever, slidesprojecting through the webs of the rails of a track-section adjacent towhich the apparatus .is mounted and adapted to be engaged by the flangesof the car-wheels, levers connected at one end with the slides,three-armed levers fulcrumed adjacent to one of the rails, and

each having one of its arms operatively connected with the free ends ofthe said levers,

4. An apparatus of the class described, comgate, a horizontally-disposedlever cooperatively connected with the rock lever, slides having one endprojecting through the webs of be projected While those on the other endare I retracted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing'witnesses.

CALVIN WINN CURD. Witnesses:

R. E. HARRIS, R. R. SETTLE.

